Collapsible shaft for disposable paint spray curtain



s. M. FORSHEE 3,071,060

COLLAPSIBLE SHAFT FOR DISPOSABLE PAINT SPRAY CURTAIN Jan. 1, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1961 8 IN VEN TOR SHEILA M.FORSHEEATTORNEY Jan. 1, 1963 s. M. FORSHEE 3,071,060

COLLAPSIBLE SHAFT FOR DISPOSABLE PAINT SPRAY CURTAIN Filed June 21, 19612 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

rates $6M Tie 3,071,069 CGLLAPSIBLE SHAFT F-DR DISPOSABLE PAINT SPRAYCURTAIN Sheila M. Forshee, 1410 Iroquois, Detroit 14, Mich. Filed June21, 1961, Ser. No. 118,611 9 Claims. (Cl. 98115) This invention relatesto the art of paint spraying and has particular reference to an improvedshaft for collecting a disposable paint spray curtain, such as disclosedin United States Letters Patent No. 2,841,073, issued to me on July 1,1958, and United States Letters Patent No. 2,875,680, issued to me onMarch 3, 1959.

An object of this invention is to generally improve paint spray boothequipment and to provide a device which enhances the method, or process,disclosed in the said patents previously issued to me.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible device forcollecting and disposing of spray curtain material after it has beenused in my process of trapping paint over spray.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spray curtaincollector, which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture,easy to assemble and disassemble.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter indicated, which greatly facilitates the collection anddisposal of wet, heavily laden sections of material used as a back dropor curtain in a paint spray booth, or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible shaft forcollecting paint spray curtain material, with thermostatic meanspositioned adjacent the collected material and means connected to saidthermostatic means for indicating the temperature of the materialcollected, whereby to prevent the possibility of spontaneous combustionin the material.

Another object of the invention is to construct a collapsible shaft ofthe character indicated, which is formed of a pair of spaced flat barswith end means for supporting the bars, whereby the disposable curtainmaterial may easily be started for rolling on the shaft.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being madefrom time to time to the accompanying drawings forming part of theWithin disclosure, in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a paint spray booth embodying theinvention with the lower roll cover removed.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG.1, but with the lower roll cover in place.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section, with parts broken away, takensubstantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG.3.

FIG. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 5'5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged and exploded view showing one of the end blocks, aguide plate, an end portion of the shaft and a portion of the roll ofused material, after the shaft has been removed from the machine andcollapsed.

FIG. 7 is a view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, andshows, in elevation, one of the end blocks.

FIG. 8 is a section taken substantially on the line 88 of FIG. 6 andshows, in elevation, one of the guide plates.

FIG. 9 is a vertical section similar to that shown in FIG. 5, butillustrating a different form of end closure member and a different formof collapsible shaft construction.

FIG. 10 is a section taken substantially on the line Ill-10 of FIG. 9.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understoodthat in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference character 11indicates, in general, the paint spray booth which is preferably made ofsheet metal material fabricated, as more particularly disclosed andclaimed in my issued patents hereinabove referred to. The paint spraybooth has a top 21, and side walls 22 and 23 which serve as a housingfor, and means to support the upper roll 24 (FIG. 2) on which is storedthe material 25A from which the fabric curtain 25 is formed. Thematerial 25A extends downwardly from the roll 24 to form the front wall25 of the spray booth. The material 25A extends downwardly from the roll24 over idler rolls 26 (FIG. 2) and onto the collector shaft 27 (FIG. 2)which is constructed and driven as hereinafter described.

The booth is provided with an upper removable panel (not shown) and alower panel 28 (FIG. 2) so that access may be had to the upper and lowerrolls of material 25A for loading, unloading and replacing the material25A. The curtain wall 25 is preferably backed-up with a backing member29 (FIG. 2) which is preferably made of a plurality of vertical members29A, and a plurality of horizontal members 2913 which are securedtogether in a grid-like manner by welding or other suitable means, whichbacking member 29 is supported in a channel-like frame 32 supported onthe inside walls of the device. This member is intended to reinforce andsupport the material of the curtain 25, so that the curtain 25 maywithstand the blast from the spray gun I9 and the air which passesthrough the curtain 25, and so that the curtain 25 may resist thepressure of any object which may be forced against it during thespraying operation.

The material 25A comprising the wall 25 is preferably a non-wovenfabric, and is preferably made of fibers adhesively bonded to oneanother with heat, pressure and/ or vacuum subjected to various forms ofapplication to insure uniform dispersion of the bonding agents. Thebonding is done by chemothermic process under extremely high heat,pressure and/or vacuum. The non-woven fabric used in this disclosure ispreferably a blend of cotton fibers, which will give maximum absorbency,and which will add a maximum degree of bonding strength, and provide amaximum degree of tensile strength, so that the material comprising thecurtain may be pulled from one roll to the other.

The fibers of the material are preferably calendered or pressed to alayer of thickness of approximately X of an inch to provide a normallydry, smooth surface, without nap. The fabric material is preferablyflame proofed with any suitable chemical composition. The material sodescribed offers little, if any, resistance to the passage of air therethrough, and because of its high factor of absorbency will catch, holdand absorb any and all paint spray which may contact it during the paintspray opera tion. This material, when loaded with excess paint spray, isreadily disposable. The used sections of the material 25A arecontinuously rolled onto the collector roll 27 which, when filled, isreadily removed and disposed of as hereinafter described.

The collapsible shaft 27 is carried on stub shafts 33 and 33A which aresupported in suitable bearings (not shown) secured to the walls 22 and23 of the booth. The collapsible shaft or collector roll 27 is supportedat either end, by a pair of end plates 27A and 27B, to the inner facesof which are welded the U-shaped carrier members 36 (FIG. 3). To theopposite faces of the plates 27A and 27B are welded bosses 27C which aresecured to the shafts 33 and 33A by set screws 27D, so that the plates27A and 27B rotate with the shafts 33 and 33A. The shaft 33 is driven bya suitable motor 37 through a gear train enclosed in a housing 38, andis controlled by a switch 39 mounted on the outside of the booth. TheU-shaped carrier members 35 are arranged to receive the ends of a pairof channel shaped members 3t) and 31, the edges of which telescope eachother, as shown in FIG. 4. The vertical legs of the U-shaped carriermembers 36 (FIGS. 3 and 4) are bored, as at 40, to receive locking pins41 which extend there through and prevent the channel members 30 and 31from being displaced through the open end of the U-shaped member 36,while the collapsible shaft, or roll 27, is in rotation. The locking pin41 is preferably held in position by means of a magnet 42. 'In order toprevent the channel members 30 and 31 from telescoping each other toofar, I provide, at each end, an end closure block 43 which has asubstantially square reduced portion 43A, which extends into the channelshaped members 3t) and 31 (FIG. 3) and holds them against their fullytelescoping each other, but which, when removed, as shown in FIG. 6,permits the channel shaped members 30 and 31 to telescope one another tocollapse the shaft 27, so that the shaft 27 may be removed from the usedportion of the material 25A, as shown in FIG. 6.

In order to retain the paint laden material 25A (FIG. 3) on thecollapsible shaft, or roll 27, I provide a pair of guide plates 45 and46 (FIGS. 3, 6 and 8), each of which has welded to its inner face aplurality of L-shaped brackets 47, the horizontal legs of which restsupon the channel members 3t and 31 and help to hold them in positionduring the rotation of the collapsible shaft 27. The guide plates 45 and46 are provided with substantially square cutout portions 45A, so thatthe ends of the channel members 31 and 31 may be extended there through.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, I show a modified form of the collapsible shaft 27,in which the longitudinal members of the shaft 27 consists of a pair ofbars 2713. The ends of the bars 27B are received in channel members 27F,which are welded to the inner face of the end plate dEB which issubstantially square and is arranged to be received in the U-shapedcarrier members 36, which are welded to the carrier plates 27A and 27B,as previously described. The end plates 43B carrying the channel members27F, may be removed from the bars 27E to collapse the collector roll 27in the same manner as the channel members 30 and 31 (FIG. 6) arecollapsed, when the end blocks 43 are removed.

It will be understood that the collapsible shaft, or roll 27, is drivenby means of the shaft 33 through the mem ber 27C and the plate 27A. Theend blocks 43 and 43A are received in the U-shaped carrier members 36and rotate therewith. The ends of the channel members 30 and 31 aresupported by the reduced portions 43A of the end blocks 43 and rotatetherewith.

After a predetermined amount of paint laden material 25A is received onthe collapsible roll 27 and it is desired to remove the paint saturatedsections of material, the pins 41 are first removed from the U-shapedcarrier members 36 and the roll 27, with the paint laden material 25A,is lifted bodily out of the U-shaped carriers 35. When so removed, theend blocks 43 (FIG. 6) of the modified end blocks 43B (FIGS. 9 and areremoved from the ends of the channel members 3%) and 31, or in themodified form, which bars 27E permit the channel members 30 and 31, orthe bars 27E to collapse, as shown in FIG. 6. The collapsible roll 27may then be removed from the paint laden material 25A.

The excess air and fumes from the paint spray operation are withdrawnthrough the top of the booth by means of a conventional blower 50 whichis driven by a motor 51, as in conventional practice.

In order to overcome the danger of spontaneous combustion in the paintladen material 25A on the shaft 27 (FIG. 3), i provide a heat conductingelement 52 which is preferably positioned between the channel member andthe material 25A, which conductive element is connected through asuitable lead 53 and a coupling 54, to a thermo switch 55 which isgrounded on one side and connected on the other side to a finger 56which contacts a ring 57 carried on and insulated from the side of thebooth, in any manner as at 57A. The ring 57 is electrically connected toa signal device 58, as at 59 which device is supported on the booth, asat 53A, and is connected to a power source as at 69, so that anyexcessive heat in the used material 25A will close the switch 55 andclose the circuit through the ring 57 and the signal device 58, toindicate to the operator that the material 25A should be removed fromthe collapsible shaft.

It is believed that the operation of the device is obvious from theforegoing description.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A collapsible shaft for collecting a disposable spray booth curtain,comprising a pair of longitudinal members, means to maintain saidmembers in parallel relation, means to support the ends of said members,and means to rotate said members about the longitudinal axis of theshaft, said longitudinal members being channel shaped in cross section,there being end blocks, having portions ex tending into said channels,for holding said channel members parallel.

2. A collapsible shaft for collecting a disposable spray booth curtain,comprising a pair of longitudinal members, means to maintain saidmembers in parallel relation, means to support the ends of said members,and means to rotate said members about the longitudinal axis of theshaft, said longitudinal members being fiat bars, end blocks forsupporting said bars, said blocks having channel means thereon forreceiving the ends of said bars and holding the said bars in normallyspaced relation.

3. A collapsible shaft for collecting a disposable spray booth curtain,comprising a pair of longitudinal members, means to maintain saidmembers in parallel relation, means to support the ends of said members,and means to rotate said members about the longitudinal axis of theshaft, said means for maintaining said members in parallel relationcomprising end blocks, and said means for supporting and rotating saidmembers, comprising a pair of shafts, one of which is power driven, aplate secured for rotation with each said shaft, each said plate havinga U-shaped carrier member on its inner face, each said U-shaped carriermember having received therein, one of said end blocks.

4. A collapsible shaft for collecting a disposable spray booth curtain,comprising a pair of longitudinal members, means to maintain saidmembers in parallel relation, means to support the ends of said members,and means to rotate said members about the longitudinal axis of theshaft, said means for maintaining said members in parallel relationscomprising end blocks, and means. for supporting and rotating saidmembers, including a pair of shafts, one of which is power driven, aplate secured for rotation with each said shaft, each said plate havinga U-shaped carrier member on its inner face, each said U-shaped carriermember having received therein, one of said end blocks, and means forholding said end blocks in said U- shaped carrier members, during therotation of said longitudinal members.

5. A device of the character described for use with a spray booth havingside walls and a disposable front curtain, comprising a pair of shafts,one of which is power driven, a plate secured for rotation with eachshaft, each plate having a U-shaped carrier member secured to its innerface, end blocks received in said U-shaped carrier members, and a pairof longitudinal members supported in parallel relation by said endblocks, said longitudinal members being adapted to receive, when inrotation, used portions of the said front curtain material.

6. A collapsible shaft for collecting a disposable spray booth curtain,comprising a pair of longitudinal members, means to maintain saidmembers in parallel relation, means to support the ends of said members,and means to rotate said members about the longitudinal axis of theshaft, including means associated with said longitudinal members andused portions of said curtain, for indicating an excessive temperaturein the used portions of said curtain.

7. A collapsible shaft for collecting a disposable spray booth curtain,comprising a pair of longitudinal members, means to maintain saidmembers in parallel relation, means to support the ends of said members,and means to rotate said members about the longitudinal axis or" theshaft, including a pair of guide plates, each plate having an openingfor receiving the ends of said first named members, and each of saidplates having L-shaped members thereon for preventing the radialmovement of said first named members when being rotated.

8. A device of the character described for use with a spray booth havingside walls and a disposable front curtain, comprising a pair of shafts,one of which is power driven, a plate secured for rotation with eachshaft, each plate having a U-shaped carrier member secured to its innerface, end blocks received in said U-shaped carrier members, and a pairof longitudinal members supported in parallel relation by said endblocks, said longitudinal members being adapted to receive, when inrotation, used portions of the said front curtain material, and a heatconductive element adjacent one of said longitudinal members, a thermoactive switch connected to said heat conductive element, and an electriccircuit connected to a signal device and to said switch.

9. A device of the character described for use with a spray booth havingside walls and a disposable front curtain, comprising a pair of shafts,one of which is power driven, a plate secured for rotation with eachshaft, each plate having a U-shaped carrier member secured to its innerface, end blocks received in said U-shaped carrier members, and a pairof longitudinal members supported in parallel relation by said endblocks, said longitudinal members being adapted to receive, when inrotation, used portions of the said front curtain material, and a heatconductive element adjacent one of said longitudinal members, a thermoactive switch connected to said heat conductive element, and an electriccircuit connected to a signal device and to said switch, said circuitincluding a conductor rotatable with one of said first named plates anda conductive slip ring carried by one of said side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS137,672 Garsed Apr. 8, 1873 293,382 Van Horn Feb. 12, 1884 630,008Shimer Aug. 1, 1899 2,875,680 Forshee Mar. 3, 1959

1. A COLLAPSIBLE SHAFT FOR COLLECTING A DISPOSABLE SPRAY BOOTH CURTAIN,COMPRISING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS, MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAIDMEMBERS IN PARALLEL RELATION, MEANS TO SUPPORT THE ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS,AND MEANS TO ROTATE SAID MEMBER ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THESHAFT, SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS BEING CHANNEL SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION,THERE BEING END BLOCKS, HAVING PORTIONS EXTENDING INTO SAID CHANNELS,FOR HOLDING SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS PARALLEL.